Medal Stand
Gold
Jerry Colangelo
The architect behind USA Basketball's reinvention should take a bow. In three short years, he transformed the program, working with coach Mike Krzyzewski to get notoriously selfish NBA players to create what could be considered the first national hoops team.
Silver
Bob Costas
Throughout the Olympics, he's been praised for his interview skills, but they never shined brighter than during his time with IOC President Jacques Rogge over the weekend. From Joey Cheek to human rights, he pushed the IOC leader on some of the issues that NBC neglected to tackle during the 17 days of the Games.
USA Track & Field
The U.S. team managed to top its medal count from Athens behind bright spots like men's decathlon gold and women's discus gold. But its performance will be marred by baton drops in the men's and women's 4x100-meter relays, and by barely winning the gold-medal count over Jamaica, Russia and even Kenya. Is it time for the organization to reinvent itself like USA Basketball did?
Tin
London
Was that shot from Buckingham Palace underwhelming or what? London's contribution to the Closing Ceremony in Beijing included a bland interview with Michael Phelps, an odd performance by Jimmy Page on top of a bus and a mayor who couldn't even button his jacket.
I have to say as I watched the closing ceremony I was caught up in looking at the Mayor of London and began to think of Monty Python. If Baijing used it's homegrown world renowned Director Zhang Yimou to stage its opening and closing cermonies, perhaps London will use Monty Python. One can only hope!!!
Posted by: Patrick Rutledge / August 25, 2008 / 2:00 PM
I purposely kept my jacket open to show the world that even a foppish Mayor of one of the world's great cities could tie his tie so that the length of the tie stops at the belt buckle. Also, I think I deserve credit for waving that Olympic flag better than the Rogge and that Chinese guy next to him.
Posted by: London Mayor / August 26, 2008 / 8:10 PM